Young Jane Young
by the Sunday Times bestselling author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
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4.2 • 13 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
'This sly, exhilarating novel takes on slut-shaming . . . and manages to be hilarious in the process' People
'It's brilliant and hilarious . . . It has a heart. And a spine. It's exactly what we need more of right now.' Chicago Tribune
'A smart, intersectional feminist tour de force' Washington Times
This is the story of five women . . .
Meet Rachel Grossman.
She'll stop at nothing to protect her daughter, Aviva, even if it ends up costing her everything.
Meet Jane Young.
She's disrupting a quiet life with her daughter, Ruby, to seek political office for the first time.
Meet Ruby Young.
She thinks her mom has a secret. She's right.
Meet Embeth Levin.
She has made a career of cleaning up her congressman husband's messes.
Meet Aviva Grossman.
The Internet won't let her or anyone else forget her past transgressions.
This is the story of five women...and the scandal that binds them together.
From Gabrielle Zevin, the bestselling author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, comes another story with unforgettable characters that is particularly suited to the times we live in now.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This is one of the more inventive books more we’ve read in a while. Incorporating a number of diverse voices and Choose Your Own Adventure elements, Young Jane Young tracks the torrid but inspiring story of Aviva Grossman. Reeling after a much-publicised affair with her boss (a gloriously smarmy congressman), Zevin takes us through the aftermath with self-deprecation, flair and a real emotional punch. We were rooting for the likeable Aviva as much as we were desperate for her to avoid walking straight into more mistakes.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Zevin (The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry) offers a satisfying and entertaining story of reinvention and second chances in the wake of a political sex scandal. Aviva Grossman was far and away the most capable intern working in the Florida district office of her local congressman until their affair was exposed and the subsequent national scandal destroyed her reputation (though, tellingly, not the congressman's) and doused her political aspirations. Fast-forward more than a decade: Aviva, a single mom, has legally changed her name to Jane Young, moved to small-town Maine, and applied her logistical competence to running her own event planning business. When the town matriarch encourages Jane to run for mayor, her youthful indiscretions threaten to derail her tentative foray back into the political arena. Divided into sections, each focusing on a different woman Aviva's mother, Jane; her 13-year-old daughter, Ruby; the congressman's wife; and Aviva the novel's structure means that plot points are occasionally re-trod, though sometimes with surprising new insights. Zevin also plays with form, crafting Ruby's section as a series of frequently hilarious emails to her Indonesian pen pal and the final section like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" novel. Real-world parallels aside, Jane's story is in the end less about political scandal and more about gaining strength and moving on from youthful missteps.
